Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-02-25
INCIDENT OF THE WAR.
A Tlatboat Load Of Contrabands Walt
ing to Towed TO Freedom,


As We returned down the Nazoo. 1t
every possible point vAcrc he river could
be reached there were tlwon%s Of negro
families waiting TO be taken away.
Many Of them had fat boats in which
they were already embarked, ready TO
fastcn a line to the returning Federal
boats and be lowed down the river and
to freedom.
l remember one instance connected
with this hcGira that was somewhat out
of the usual course &C events. At one
point where the Silver Wave halted
there was an immense Cncampmcnt of
negroes with their scanty furniture watt
ing for removal. Attached to the shore
was large ilatbOat, which lay just at
the stern of The steamer. l happened TO
be lounging in that portion of tho boat,
and was attracted by the character Of the
contents of the flatboat. There were at
least twenty colored people in it, Of all
ages and both sexes. IL the stern sat u
venerable African, who ~ once attracted
my attention. lie had heavy beard
and very thick hair. which, With his
dense eyebrows. were as vhitc as wool.
There was something noble and impress
sIvc in his face and position, and interest
in him wcs increased as | saw that he
was 81 -h,lc,e. He wGs grand as he sat
there: grand in his years. which must
have Eccn close to century; grand in
the immobility of his countenance. the
reposc Of his position, in his helpless
blindness. and in a pcrccptible expression
of patience and hope that characterized
his features.
The other people in the boat were prob
ably his descendants. There was a white
headed woman who IVES his daughter,
then stalwart man and a woman who
must have been his grandchildren. and
then host Of children of all ages from
90 down to little picl;aninny lying on
its back that sucked its thumb. kicked up
its heels and gazcd with its black. bead
like eyes into vacancy. They were all
chattering, laughing, screaming il the
eXuberancc Of their delight. Freedom
was before them and the world was
ablazc with The glory Of anticipation.
Only the patriarch was silent; to him
there perhaps mingled with the hope of
the future a recollection of the old home
and the old life. The deep grown roots
Of his existence could not hc easily OK
tracted from the soil Of the south. and
yet there was glow on lis face such rs
must have come over the faces Of the
wandering tribes as they stood ON Neho
and their weary eyes took in the spread
ing fields and the fertile plains Of the
promised land.
y line was dropped from the deck OF
the steamer TO the iiatboat and made fast.
The next moment the wheel began to re-
volvc. 1t threw back waves which CHI
velopcd the flatboat. and then. as the
speed increased, the fiat bow Of the latter
was drawn under, and the entire boat
with all its human freight. its infancy,
its years. its hopes, disappeared under
the Sreenish waters of the Nazoo. As
far as | could see the locality l watched
for some sign Of the ongulfed unfortil-
mates. but not even rag, a fragment OF
any kind, came to the surface. The cruel
waters held them fast. and not even q
ripple disturbed the placid surface above
their place Of disappearance.
Nothing that l saw during the wal
shocked me as did this occurrence. Res
cue was impossible; the boat did not even
stop. 1t steamed swiftly away, and
/ felt in my heart that another and hum
bier Moses had died at the moment of an
ticipated deliverance. -''Poliuto'' in Chi
cago Times.